Ontario Government partners with Samsung for green energy, jobs Special

Toronto
-
The Government of Ontario has "turned a corner" for the province's economy. The province announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Samsung and SMA Solar Technology to develop industrial-size solar inverters.

According to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario government, the province’s 2009 Green Energy Act has assisted in the creation of more than 13,000 jobs and has helped attract billions of dollars in investment from the private sector.

Furthermore, the province is the nation’s leader in solar capacity and maintains the world’s largest solar photovoltaic farm in Sarnia. Plus, there are nearly 5,000 small-scale projects and this energy investment has helped Ontario recover 93 percent of the jobs lost during the recession.

Another initiative the provincial government has put forth is a partnership with Samsung C&T Corporation and SMA Solar Technology AG to construct “electric devices that convert energy produced in solar panels into power that can be used by the electricity grid,” otherwise identified as solar inverters.

This energy proposal will be conducted at Celestica’s facilities in Toronto, which is in Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne’s provincial riding in Toronto’s Don Valley West.

“Ontario is a world leader in attracting clean energy investments as we transform and modernize our electricity system,” said Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Energy Minister. “We are making crucial investments to build a strong, reliable system that will clean up the air we breathe for our families, businesses and the generations to come. We are doing it while keeping costs down for families.”

He added that creating a clean and healthier Ontario for the future will make the province become the “envy of the world.”

“Samsung and SMA Solar are creating new jobs that will not only have an important impact in the local community, but help create new sources of clean energy supply,” said Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament and Minister of Transportation, Kathleen Wynne. “This agreement will strengthen our economy and create a brighter future for Ontario families.”

Senior Executive Vice President of Samsung, Cheol-Woo Lee, explained that Canada is an important marketplace for Samsung and is pleased that it has garnered the support of the provincial government to commit to renewable green energy.

“This achievement is one of many significant milestones resulting from the historic Green Energy Investment Agreement between the Korean Consortium and the province of Ontario,” said Lee. “An agreement that will create jobs and clean energy for generations to come.”

This strategy is part of the province’s Long-Term Energy Plan that is attempting to replace coal-fired power with wind, solar and bio energy. The plan is also projected by McGuinty to create jobs.

The Ontario Premier has said his government is helping families with the cost of clean energy by decreasing electricity bills by 10 percent over a five-year period and moving Time-of-Use off-peak times from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday.